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What is Quick Connect?

The Quick Connect is a tool to help individuals and groups learn and pray Lectio Divina (Divine Reading). This tool includes a Lectio Divina guide (PDF download) in both English and Spanish as well as video lessons. Most Quick Connect web pages include two video lessons (one homily, one lecture).

There is a Quick Connect webpage for each Sunday of the Liturgical Year (Cycle A). The Liturgical Year is the annual cycle of the mysteries of Christ. Each Sunday we walk hand and hand with Christ and His Church through the mysteries of His life so that we may better KNOW, LOVE and SERVE Jesus Christ.

Why Quick Connect is Important?

It is a tool to learn an ancient tradition in order to build a new spiritual springtime!

Pope Benedict XVI writes:

"I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina: 'the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart' (Dei Verbum, 25)...As a strong point of biblical minsitry, Lectio Divina should therefore be increasingly encouraged, also through the use of new methods, carefully throught trhough and in step with the times... If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the church - I am convinced of it - a new spiritual springtime."

10 Reasons to use Quick Connect!

Quick Connect gives people the opportunity to practice the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina using a simple, free format, that can be used week after week.

Quick Connect teaches people to pray and fosters a deeper prayer life.

Quick Connect creates an environment in which Jesus is the center of conversation. Jesus is not always the center of conversation at work or even among friends and family. A weekly opportunity to openly and freely discuss Jesus and the Gospel is most welcome! Quick Connect is also great practice for evangelization - if we begin to share Jesus in a comfortable setting we can begin to gain confidence in sharing Him in any situation.

Quick Connect builds community and fellowship!

Quick Connect helps people live out the Sunday Gospel. Use Quick Connect in a youth group setting, parent formation during Religious Education classes, adult bible students, RCIA dismissal and more.

Quick Connect brings about conversion and a lively faith!

Quick Connect provides video lessons on the Sunday Gospel (a teaching and a homily) so that individuals may grown in the Faith and small group leaders can better prepare prior to presenting a lesson to the group they lead.

Quick Connect provides downloadable Lectio Divina guides which include the Sunday Gospel, Spritual Reading and a short lesson. The Lectio Divina guides are in English and Spanish. They are double sided 8 1/2 x 11 for easy printing and copying.

Quick Connect is FAST. FREE. FAITHFUL.

What is Lectio Divina?

Lectio Divina simply means divine reading. It is an approach to reading Sacred Scripture. There are four stages: lectio (read), meditatio (meditate), oratio (pray), contemplatio (contemplate). There are many other words that can be used to help us to understand the root of these four steps. We read, reflect, respond, and rest. These for “r’s” are helpful to remember the steps. Lectio Divina has been nicknamed the Monk’s Ladder, for it is by these four rungs that the soul aspires toward heaven.

It is good to think of Lectio Divina the way a child would think of exploring. When a child explores in a forest, desert, or creek bed, what do they do? They “seek” with the intention of “finding”. When we “go into” scripture, especially the Gospel, we “seek” with the intention of “finding” something or in the case of Jesus, someone.

The first step of lectio, should be done in the spirit of adventure, we expect to find something and will not settle until we do. In the first step we simply read the Scripture or Spiritual Reading given. It is good to read the reading out loud and silently, more than once is preferred. The Quick Connect guide suggests, that duing this step any phrase or word that stands out to the reader should be written down.

The second step of meditatio, is to “find”. What happens when we find something or someone? When we are exploring and find something, we do not simply put it in our pocket without looking and investigating it. We look at every angle with excitement and we even show it with others. We desire to discover to “find out” about what it is we “sought out”. We use our natural reason and find out all we can know. In the case of Lectio Divina we can write down any phrase or word that we find and then ask our self what we can know using our reason about these phrases or words. What questions arise about the phrase or word? What do I already know or have already heard about this phrase or word?

The third step of oratio, is to “ask”. When our human reason is exhausted and we have found out all we can find out on our own, we simply ask God to reveal to us what it is that He wishes us to find. This asking can be done in the form of a prayer written down or simply a quite conversation. Using the analogy of the child explorer, we might ask others what they think of our discovery and in asking others we find out something we did not notice. When we ask God in faith, we always find more than we can on our own through reason. In Lectio Divina we use both Faith and Reason.

The fourth step of contemplatio, is to “taste”. We simply want to rest and savor our discovery and what we have learned about that discovery from both reason and faith. To contemplate is to look at, or gaze. In this stage we look at Jesus, we gaze at Him. If Lectio Divina is done in the present of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament we can literally gaze at Him. In this stage the hope is that we can become, what we look at. If we gaze at Christ, we imitate Him and become holy. If we gaze at Heaven, we keep our goal in mind and have the desire to run the race.

Link to Liturgy offers fast, free and faithful lessons on the Gospels, easily arranged for evangelization and catechesis.